Little Things Make Us Happy

Love Day Lit

To celebrate the birthday of the blogging group that is SIPB, we are linking up with Senior Salon with Esme today and writing on the topic of St. Valentine’s day. Mine is about books.

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For any partners of readers out there, there is nothing wrong with a good book for the 14th.

For love Day, the day of that V saint, I have come up with with some bookish ideas that could be the perfect present.

The obvious fear for a person who does not love books who is buying one for their loved one is that it already owned by the person. This may not be a problem. For a special gift, the thought counts. So a repeat of a book is OK if certain factors are kept in mind. If I love a book, I often have several versions of it.

You see, just selecting a random Danielle Steele or current bestseller with fingers crossed is truly playing with fire. You may luck out. Certain tricks can help avoid this.

A famous love story. It is definitely romantic if you are handed a novel that is associated with some of the world’s greatest lovers- Cathy and Heathcliff, Elizabeth and Darcy or Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately, the great love stories are often tragic so bear this in mind. I can assure you though if you are not one for romantic gestures and rock up with one of these wrapped in red paper with chocolate on the side you cannot go wrong. Unless your partner doesn’t like books. Or gestures. Then you should read a different blog post.

A beautiful copy, special edition or hardback version of one of these novels is a lovely gift. With real sentiment.

A second hand copy with distinguishing features can also have merit. Antiquarian shops know what the public like and will have pretty and rare copies of your chosen love story. Searching for a beautiful copy of a famous love story seems like a genuinely heartfelt token to me.

A modern love story is another good option. You are more likely to source a signed copy of one of these too online. Again, these often are a tale of tragedy so be aware to read the blurb yourself. Or have a peek at the last page. Book bloggers will have lists of these novels compiled if you want to research it too. Young love, aged heart break or slow building passions- they all count.

A beautifully bound and illustrated collection of a favourite author will be appreciated by a true reader. These are available more than ever now in stores such as The Works. They are not practical to read but lovely to have.

A signed copy of a much loved story. These may be hard to obtain in some cases but maybe not I’m in others so with looking into.

A collection of poems/ letters/ essays on love or any topic your partner has passion for is a thoughtful gift.

A childhood classic or favourite will show you know your partner well and value what they share with you. Sentimental and nostalgic, it is a lovely idea.

Hello! Second hand books are my absolute favourite! You never know what you might find – a golden nugget in a box or book shelf in a lonely second hand shop. It doesn’t matter if I’ve read it before, if it’s a favourite and I find it in a second hand shop, I’ll probably buy it. About Valentine’s Day, well, my husband and I don’t exchange presents, so anything we want we just buy it when we want it – no unwanted or unappreciated gifts that way! 🙂

Love this informational post, Orla! And, I love OLD books! I Have a few VERY old books from Sweden sitting on my shelves right now, and I always wonder how the books got to the US, who brought them here, and who read the books. Talk about nostalgia. Great post, Orla! xx